


Apple, Cinnamon and Civilities

by jisoomes



Series: Hayffie Christmas 2020 [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisoomes/pseuds/jisoomes
Summary: Based on the prompt: Your coffee shop offers a special Christmas drink and I’m addicted, you’re the barista and you think I’m in love with you, I mean, you’re cute and all but I’m all for the gingerbread latte, I swear.
Relationships: Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket
Series: Hayffie Christmas 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063949
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Apple, Cinnamon and Civilities

If somebody had told Haymitch that he’d be working in a bakery at age 40, he’d have laughed. For a multitude of reasons. One being that he had been steadily drinking himself to death far earlier than that twenty years ago, and another being that he had never had an interest in baking or coffee.  


And yet, here he was, holding the ship for Peeta armed with a special new recipe made by him. Something he was an expert on, that he had to teach _Peeta_ to make…  


He felt strangely proud. As if he had achieved something.  


It hadn’t been a sudden interest in coffee flavours that had sparked the recipe idea. No, it had been the hot blonde he’d been unable to get off of his mind since Halloween. A hot blonde who’d introduced him to the world of ridiculous disgusting drinks. He’d argued that he could make one just as good and Peeta had dared him too.  


And he had never been able to resist a dare...  


In the end, it hadn’t been hard. A few reminders of his favourite alcohol, an old winter favourite that he used to drink on good days… Not a coffee, sure. But tea. One that Haymitch would say was _far_ better than the pumpkin crap and much more suited for winter.  


The concept was strangely personal too. Apples that reminded him of Chaff, marigolds that his mother used to make tea with and a hint of cinnamon inspired by the irritating customer herself.  


He had seen her since Halloween - _of course_ , he had, she was here like clockwork every day. Prancing around in tight skirts and dresses and heels so high he waited for her to fall flat on her face. He had seen her since but it had been from the sidelines sat at his usual table with his book.  


Haymitch almost longed for his prior ignorance, because before Halloween when he had spotted her, it had been easy to bypass the attraction and dismiss her as another stranger. Now he knew what she sounded like, what she looked like all riled up and irritated. Hell, he practically knew what she tasted like after that awful sip of her drink…  


She hadn’t been out of his head since. He wanted to know if she _did_ taste like that drink. Whether she kept the haughty attitude up or dropped it when she was in bed... She looked so innocent and posh but she hadn’t hesitated to take him down a notch when he pushed and that hadn’t happened to him in a long time.  


And she was a puzzle. _Where_ did she work to dress like that? How did she end up _here_? A part of him was desperate to know. The part of him that he hadn’t seen in years. Not since he’d given up on pretending he wanted to live at twenty-three and dedicated himself to drinking his days away.  


He wasn’t planning to pursue anything though. Partly because she hadn’t seemed interested. Every time he spotted her, she simply glared and looked the other way. Sometimes if he smirked or winked, she’d straighten up and puff her chest out like a rather enormous bird and he pretended that didn’t amuse him to no end.  


The other part was solely on him. People around here tended to fall into the serious category of relationships. There weren’t many single people in his age group and if there were, they were usually widowed and with kids. That was, assuming she was even single. Odds were, a woman as gorgeous as that was already taken.  


The bell at the front rang, alerting him that there was a customer and Haymitch turned away from the serving counter he had been staring at towards the big glass doors.  


“I do hope you’re not going to sample my drink again,” Effie announced. Her voice echoed across the empty seating area, he pretended that her very presence alone didn’t cause a rush of excitement. It had been ages since anybody made him feel like this.  


“The pumpkin mess is all yours today, sweetheart,” he said. He didn’t try to hide his leering at her outfit that morning. It was still dark out and she must have been _freezing_ in just a red blouse and cream skirt.  


She wrinkled her nose. “As polite as ever…”  


Her voice trailed off as she came closer. He watched her read the chalkboard sign Peeta had made to advertise the new winter specials.  


“Same as always?” He asked, already getting out the medium cup she always ordered…  


“Actually,” she said. “I’ll try the new drink… The...”  


“Cosy cinnamon apple tea,” he answered for her. The name had been Peeta’s choosing, of course. “I’m warning you now, this drink will blow your shitty pumpkin one out of the park.”  


“Oh really?” She stepped closer to the till to pay. “Did Peeta finally make something that improved your sour mood? I’ll order two and we can see how fast it works.”  


"You wanna buy me a drink, sweetheart? Go ahead," he taunted, letting his eyes trail down her outfit again just because he knew it would annoy her. Sure enough, he heard her huff. “It's created by yours truly. Might be the _best_ drink we’ve ever had.”  


Perhaps, that was an overstatement, he certainly loved the English breakfast tea Peeta served. And his drink was hardly a bestseller yet. It was worth it though to see Effie’s eyebrows shoot up.  


“Well… Then I simply must try,” she grinned. She pressed her card to the reader, not once looking away from him. Had he thought she was taken? She wasn’t looking at him like a taken woman, that was for sure.  


He turned his back on her to start the drink, a little sorry to break whatever verbal spar they were in.  


“Is this going to be a regular thing, then?” she asked after a minute or so. “Are you training to work here?”  


“Probably,” he shrugged. Peeta hadn’t really spoken to him about that but it seemed likely. An extra pair of hands was never wasted, and he hardly had other obligations. The boy was getting busier and busier each month too, he was always busy driving around deliveries or finding new suppliers.  


It was his dream to own a bakery. Haymitch would do whatever it took to help the boy keep it.  


Behind him, he heard a small sigh. “If it is then we should attempt to be more civil with one another. After all, I am here every morning.”  


He shrugged again, pretending he wasn't a little dismayed at the prospect. “Fine by me.”  


“How did you come up with this drink?” She asked. “I ask Peeta that as well, by the way. I am just wondering whether the process is similar for both of you.”  


“If this is being civil, I’d prefer if we’d argue,” he snorted. He had never been one for dry conversation...  


There was another huff, this time clearly reeking of annoyance. “You are always _so rude_ …”  


He turned around finally, held the drink out and winked when she took it. “Only to you.”  


Cautiously, she took a sip right in front of him - which he really hadn’t expected because the tea was hot enough to burn her tongue at that moment.  


“It’s not bad,” she said, a little against her will he thought. There was a flicker of annoyance in her gaze as she said those words. |It drove him mad.  


Haymitch didn’t let the lack-lustre reaction steal his thunder. “Just you wait until it’s cooled down a little. You’ll be back for more, princess. I guarantee it.”  


She pursed her lips, looking very defiant. “We will see.”  


-  


He _did_ see.  


He saw her the next morning whilst nestled in his usual corner, asking _very_ quietly for her order. He watched her avoid eye contact and he just _knew_ she had ordered his drink again.  


“She loves it!” Peeta smiled when he inquired about the popularity of his drink. “Some of the locals do too, but she’s got a good taste for drinks. If Effie Trinket thinks it's good, the rest will follow.”  


Pride bloomed in his chest every time he watched her come in after that. More so than when he overheard any other customer ordering his drink. Haymitch was desperate to catch her out and tease her about it.  


When Peeta asked him to fill in the morning shifts later that week, he took them. Almost certain he had won. He was a little shaken when she ordered the pumpkin drink though. Had she done it on purpose? Or was she not as crazy about his drink as he thought? He had been under the impression that she was always ordering his creation.  


It didn’t matter, he told himself. So what if the posh woman didn’t like his drink. It was good, Peeta had told him that. A few others had left with compliments about it too, he didn’t need her approval.  


But it stung no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. Coupled with the way she had stopped the snarky comments too, settling into a friendly chatter with the occasional flirty comment here and there… He was irritated.  


He want mean to be disappointed, but he _was_.  


Peeta became tight-lipped about her too, over the next week he went from answering his subtle questions regarding her order to biting back a smile. Safe to say, he stopped the questions quickly after that.  


One morning, he was working with Peeta to help with the morning rush of people Christmas shopping in the town. And for the first time in about a week, he felt like he was winning again.  


“A medium pumpkin spice latte, please,” she told him. Instead of the usual movement behind him of Peeta preparing the drink, he felt the boy freeze.  


Then Peeta laughed. “Really, Effie?”  


Haymitch watched her face heat up, intrigued by the odd reaction. He had never seen the woman embarrassed before. She had been so _mouthy_ to him…  


Yet, the proof was in the soft red flush highlighting each cheek and running down the neck of her blouse.  


“It is my favourite,” she defended, looking more at him than the baker behind him.  


That action alone, told him she was lying. He smirked, biting his tongue to hold back a sarcastic remark. He’d save them for the next morning alone. Although the temptation to make her blush again was _very_ tempting…  


Peeta handed her the drink with an amused smile. “I’ll see you tonight then, I suppose. For your Cinnamon and Apple _tea_...”  


Effie’s face flushed bright red once again. And Haymitch watched another first happen right in front of him - she was speechless. Barely able to _nod_ before she fleed the bakery.  


“ _Tonight?_ ” Haymitch asked, not bothering to hide the interest in his voice.  


Peeta’s eyes were playful when he replied. “I had been wondering why she came in in the evening sometimes. Then I realised she was doing it on your mornings. Now… Now I see _why_.”  


The boy looked so sure he had figured something out…  


“You wanna share it with the class?” He chuckled. “I think you’re going too far with this one.”  


“Don’t you see, though?” Peeta said. “She’s coming in just to see you. And secretly drinks your drink… You should ask her out, she’s nice.”  


He rolled his eyes. “She’s a pain in the ass.”  


And she wasn’t coming in just for him - what a preposterous idea…  


It was preposterous. But when he imagined her coming in every morning after that just to see him, Haymitch couldn’t help feeling a little delighted.  


-  


The first morning they’re alone again happened another week later. There was a big order of cakes for a Christmas party at the town hall and Peeta was booked all day to sort it out. It was no bother for him though. He’s alone in the morning, but by the afternoon Delly Cartwright - a friend of Peeta’s who he’d taken on as part-time staff over the holiday period - would join him.  


“So princess,” he announced as she walked through the door. Today, she was wrapped in a ridiculous white dress with a big bow on the top. She looks like a badly wrapped present, he thought. “I hear you’re ordering my drink in secret with a _muffin_ every evening. Got something to confess?”  


She doesn’t even bat an eyelash. Perhaps, she’s been waiting for this moment too. “Now now, Haymitch, no need to lie. You lost. Pumpkin spice is still my favourite.”  


He pushed the already made cup in her direction. ”Enjoy it, princess. We will see tonight if Peeta’s right.”  


-  


Peeta _was_ right.  


Haymitch tried not to smirk when he watched Effie peer into the bakery. He hadn't sat in his usual spot, in anticipation for exactly that.  


Effie Trinket walked right past him with a relieved smile.  


”Honestly Peeta! Anybody would think you were trying to embarrass me!” Her voice carried to his table. He didn’t dare turn to look at her though - too afraid it would ruin his cover.  


No matter how much he'd love to see her face right now...  


”My apologies, I didn't realise you were going to lie, ” Peeta chuckled. ”Haymitch is harmless, you know.”  


He could hear the grin in her voice when she spoke next. ”He is irritating.”  


Peeta didn't deny the description, Haymitch noted with a hint of mock irritation. ”So, the usual?”  


Effie’s quiet but firm ‘ _yes please_ ’ was music to his ears. Haymitch listened closely to the sound of Peeta opening the cake counter, messing with the plates…  


”Oh, there's no need to pay,” he said innocently after a minute.  


”Nonsense,” Effie said. ”I have always paid.”  


”That gentleman over there has already bought you it, in fact, he has your drink too.” Peeta’s amusement was evident. Haymitch felt the heavy weight of two gazes on him. In the beanie, she wouldn't recognise him straight away, he was certain of it.  


Slowly, the clicking of heels come closer. Effie didn't look at him when she passed. Only got a good look at his face when she sat down with a slight clatter from the muffin and plate...  


”Haymitch?” she frowned.  


He didn't bite back his grin any longer. “I win, sweetheart. And my prize?” He nudged her cup towards her. “A date.”  


Haymitch had expected a spectacle. A glare, at the very least.  


Instead, she threw her head back and laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! Surprise! I will be posting every day until the 25th (hopefully haha) so I hope you will join me :)  
> This is a nod to the coffee shop prompt I wrote for Halloween. If you squint, you might be able to see a vague interpretation of the prompt lmao. As always, I will reblog the list I took this from on my tumblr (and all the lists I used to write this week's prompts are on the-hayffie-penthouse).  
> So, tell me all your thoughts! Did he get the date? Is Peeta watching the interaction amused at the ridiculous grown adults? Did you like it? Did you hate it? I want to know it all :P


End file.
